By: Ben Fraser
Considering the current pandemic, the world needs music more than ever. Music can be a great tool for healing, recovery, and regeneration. Therefore, I would encourage everyone to use music, whether you are playing or listening, to help you through these difficult times. There are many ways music can be utilized to heal including: fostering creativity, relaxing the nervous system, expressing emotions, creating connections, introducing mindfulness.
Music is an excellent way to foster creativity. Whether you are composing, performing, or listening, it gives you a chance to connect with your creative side. Creating new melodies, lyrics, and harmonic structures are prime examples of creative activities. By doing this, you give yourself a sense of accomplishment and increase your overall positivity.
Relaxing the nervous system is another benefit brought to us by music. Scientists have successfully measured the positive impacts of music by using standardized psychosocial stress tests. Because so many of our bodily functions operate rhythmically, or bodies will automatically respond to external rhythms.
Often, people need a method for expressing emotions other than through speech. Music can help you do exactly that. Some examples include beating a drum to release anger, playing a sad song on piano, or triumphantly blowing a trumpet! These are all great channels to express emotions in a beneficial way.
The connections made through music are another undeniable benefit to speak of. These connections can be from artist to listener, between musicians, composer to performer, or a person to song. The act of playing with music with others creates a very strong connection. Mutual performers need to agree on the music, synchronize tempo, lock in harmony, and start and end together. Connections can be an important step in healing and recovery.
Finally, music helps us maintain mindfulness. When playing or listening to music, we are truly in the present, not thinking about our past or future. To perform or practice well, we need to focus on tempo, rhythm, melody, harmony, dynamics, and musicality. There is hardly any time to stress about regrets or uncertainty. While listening to music, it can make us more mindful by distracting us from intrusive thoughts.
If you are ever in need of healing, I highly recommend music as tool for recovery. It can help you more than you may expect.